National High School Records Through the Years

Photo courtesy Eugene Register-Guard/Issaquah HS

Girls Outdoor Record – High Jump

Mary Moore (Issaquah, Washington)

Performance – 6 feet, 2 inches

Date – July 14, 1981

Place – Eugene, Oregon

Meet – Track City Classic

Previous Record – 6-1 ¼ by Paula Girven (Gar-Field HS, Woodbridge, Virginia) June 24, 1976

Moore was a 6-foot-tall, 15-year-old sophomore competing in a summer age-group meet at Hayward Field, representing the Gliders Track Club, when, 44 years ago today, she got on a roll and high-jumped 6-2. “It was pretty amazing,” Moore said years later. “I nailed that jump.” Four decades later, Moore still holds the Washington state-meet record at 6-1. She went on to win the NCAA Indoor championship twice for Washington State University. She also joined numerous other young women from the Pacific Northwest to set the national high school record in the high jump, including Joni Huntley (Sheridan, Oregon), Pam Spencer (Great Falls, Montana) and Lisa Bernhagen (Hailey, Idaho).

National High School Records Through the Years appears once a week, compiled and written by a track historian, Jack Pfeifer (Lake Oswego, Oregon). Inquiries may be directed to him by email (jack.pfeifer@gmail.com).